By Sonya Rabbitte, 8 November 2001 16:40
NEWS A US court has set a precedent for international disputes on internet content, after ruling that Nazi memorabilia sold on Yahoo!'s auction site should not be censored in accordance with French law. The case went to court after the French government complained that Nazi memorabilia sold on Yahoo!'s international auction site violated French anti-hate laws. The French government had tried to prevent Yahoo! from selling the items on its international site, and threatened the company with fines of $13,000 for every day the memorabilia was online unless it blocked French citizens' access to it. While Yahoo! said its French auction site was run in accordance with French law, it claimed it could not prevent French citizens from accessing Nazi memorabilia on other country-specific sites. The judge ruled that Yahoo!'s international site operated from the US and should therefore be subject only to US law. Meanwhile Yahoo! announced today it will reduce its auction fees, in favour of charging commission on goods sold. Charges for placing an item for auction on the site will fall from between 20 cents and $1.50 to 75 cents, with Yahoo! taking commission depending on the value of the item sold.
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